USS Tennessee (BB-43) 1944

USS Tennessee (BB-43) 1944

USS Tennessee (BB-43), the lead ship of her class of battleship, was the third ship of the United States Navy named in honor of the 16th US state. During World War II in the Pacific Theater, she was damaged during the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941 but was repaired and modernized. She participated in shore bombardments at the Aleutian Islands, Tarawa, the Marshall Islands, the Marianas, the Philippines, Iwo Jima, Okinawa, etc. She was also involved in the Battle of Surigao Strait, the final battleship vs. battleship conflict ever.

After the end of WW II, the Tennessee was placed on reserve in the "mothball fleet" for nearly 15 years before finally being scrapped in 1959.